In a conventional device for attaching a handle to the body of a spinning or fishing reel having a spool shaft supported at both ends, a polygonal axial hole is provided through a drive shaft, such as the master gear shaft of a spinning reel and the traversing cam shaft of a fishing reel. A handle shaft of polygonal cross section is fitted in the similar polygonal axial hole. An attaching screw is engaged in a tapped hole of the end portion of the handle shaft to secure the handle shaft to the drive shaft so that the handle shaft can be reattached to either of the right and left sides of the body of the reel. One conventional device is shown in FIG. 6, and others are disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publications Nos. 777/85 and 31501/83 and Japanese Utility Model application No. 156274/84.
In the device shown in FIG. 6, a handle attaching screw b, that is engaged in the end portion of a handle shaft a, and an ornamental knob c are integrally secured to each other so that a gap e is present between the knob c and a handle attaching boss d. Because of the gap e, foreign substances such as water, dust, and sand are likely to enter through the gap e and cause rust and corrosion of the rotary parts. Also, since the ornamental knob c is rotated together with the handle shaft a, it is possible a hand grasping the reel at the knob will be injured or that a fishline will be wound on the rotating knob when the reel is in use.
In each of the devices disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 777/85 and Japanese Utility Model application No. 56274/84, the handle attaching screw and the ornamental knob are separately manufactured. A special purpose tool is required to remove the handle attaching screw to change the position of the handle between the right and left sides of the reel body. The handle attaching screw, the ornamental knob, and the special purpose tool are likely to become lost.
In the device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 31501/83, the handle shaft is attached and detached through the pushing of a push button. The push button is likely to be pushed accidentally at times other than the attachment and detachment of the handle shaft so as to cause unwanted disengagement of the handle shaft. Since a wire spring is engaged in the groove of the handle shaft, the handle shaft is then likely to move in the axial direction thereof.